Wow, I haven't been this busy for a long time. I left the house at 9am this morning and apart from coming home twice to quickly change for a few things, I was out of the house for 12 hours....Market, Apt with my naturalpathic Dr, quick grocery shopping, yoga,  then a long dinner with a friend!

Yoga was $5 for 90mins so I always enjoy that. I had a tough time in class, not sure if it was because my body was tired or the NMT treatment I received at my apt but I still made it through feeling pretty good afterwards.

We discovered a cheap place for produce and a few other goodies about a 10min drive away! I wish we had discovered it sooner. Produce was so much cheaper than ANYWHERE! We also picked up cheap tofu, TVP chunks, a gigantic bag of frozen fries and 3 small apple pies for $2.39 for ALL THREE! We spent $40 and came away with tons of bags of fresh stuff. This will last us quite a while so we won't have to go back for at least another 2-3 weeks.

Went to dinner with my friend to an Organic Restaurant. It's expensive but I had a $25 gift certificate which covered part of the meal. I was hoping to not go over the $25 but given the fact that I shared it with my friend and both our entrees were almost $20 a piece, it was hard to do. I guess you get what you pay for. All organic food and ALL vegan for me! mmmmmmmm. We finished our meal with a piece of chocolate tofu pie which tasted exactly like cheesecake! We sat and talked for 3 1/2 hours at dinner so it was a nice night out for the $20 I spent......

Since I have people coming over tommorow afternoon I had to start my laundry and some chores when I got home. My house is a mess. I might make the free yoga class in the morning if I get most of my chores tackled. This free yoga place offers free snacks afterwards too so that's always a bonus.

Hope everyone is having a nice frugal weekend too!

0 Comments | Post Feedback

Both my hubby and I have had a long work week! Part of me wanted to go to dinner to "reward" ourselves for our long work week, then I suggested that we stay home instead, make mini pizzas together and watch a movie!  He thought it was a great idea, so we'll make a whole batch of mini pizzas using english muffins and just freeze what we don't use. I love cooking "à deux", I find that fun and romantic :) Not sure what we'll serve with the pizzas, my fridge is quite empty at the moment though my pantry is full of cans and boxed foods and my freezer is full too. We have julienne oven fries we can make, then perhaps have a nice fruit smoothie for dessert as the fries and pizzas aren't exactly the healthiest, though I don't eat meat or dairy so they will be fairly healthy. I'll just use the pizza sauce, some broccoli and some grated rice cheese on top. I have a veggie dog left so I might cut that into small slices to mimic pepperoni!

Not sure what movie we will watch, he has a bunch downloaded so I'm sure we'll find something. Another idea was to download a podcast that I enjoy listening to from time to time that I know he'd like too, so we could enjoy a night of podcasts instead of a movie.

Since we had a bunch of meetings in my office with political "higher-ups", we ended up with some free fresh fruit that my boss might take home though I might ask if i can steal a banana. I already ate one of the apples for my afternoon snack!

Tomorrow is the farmers market, then my apt with the NMT doctor to see if she can eliminate my arthritis and allergies for good!

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

0 Comments | Post Feedback

Gee I am really posting a lot of recipes lately! I haven't done a real big grocery shopping in about 3 weeks and am trying to finish things I have on hand. Here is a recipe I wrote in my first "BIG" Zine. I usually look for things i've never made or just make up new recipes for upcoming zines, but tonite I decided to go back and make some things I concocted! Haven't had this in a few years but made it tonight for dinner, boy was it GOOD!! This is a soup recipe from one of my first zines that i wrote. Really tasty and nice for a cold day or evening! Serves about 6 people and it cost me about $2.50 because fresh broccoli was expensive at the supermarket :( Feel free to use a few cups of frozen broccoli for this if it's cheaper for you,

Curried Potato Broccoli Soup

1 onion (diced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tsp curry powder
5-6 cups of water or veggie broth
1 Tbsp soy sauce (or 2 tbps braggs liquid amino acid)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 cups diced potatoes
1 head of broccoli (chopped)
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (for vitamin B12) (optional)

In a medium saucepan, fry onion, garlic and curry in a little oil for about a minute. Then add broth, soy sauce & nutmeg and bring to boil. Once it boils, add vegetables & nutritional yeast. Cook veggies till tender, then blend with a handblender. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

ENJOY! This will warm your insides really nicely :)

1 Comments | Post Feedback

I thought this was kind of neat! You can go to www.tickerfactory.com to create your own tickers (I made one for debt!)

0 Comments | Post Feedback

I thought the Soapnuts were good, environmentally friendly and economical, but I found something even BETTER and CHEAPER! It's called The Green Wash Ball. It sells for $40 and claims to last 3 years or 1000 washes if you do one wash a day. Perfect for the environment, no mess, no fuss and no chemicals or scents! Here is the link:
https://greenwb.worldsecuresystems.com/index.html

I haven't purchased one yet, as I have enough laundry soap (thanks to a VERY good sale) for the next year or two. If anyone purchases one, please let me know because I would love to invest in one of these. Just throw it in the wash and that's it! No fuss! Gee now I wish I could get rid of my laundry soap :)

 

Images:

0 Comments | Post Feedback

This is a recipe I found somewhere on the internet and adapted it! It's really filling and makes enough for 6 people and costs about 50 cents a person :) I made it tonight and it was very filling and tasty!

Frugal Black Beans & Polenta

6 cups water

2 cups cornmeal

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 15oz cans of black beans (drained & rinse)

1 cup salsa

To make polenta, boil water & salt, then add the cornmeal very slowly so it doesn't clump. Keep stiring until really thick on low heat. Be careful because it will bubble and splash! This might take 20 minutes or so. When it comes off the sides of the pot, spread onto a 9X13 greased pan. While polenta is sitting, combine black beans & salsa and heat. When polenta is cooled a bit (10 mins or so), cut into 12 even pieces. Place two pieces of polenta on a plate and scoop some black beans on top. This is really filling and tasty! I used the zucchini salsa I made at harvest time. Feel free to add other veggies if you wish.

0 Comments | Post Feedback

This week has been a GOOD frugal week for me (I didn't buy any expensive footwear! haha).

For one, I decided to cut back on my paid yoga classes and now just go 3 times a week; two classes at $5 each and one free class. I can go 4 times if I choose to go to hot yoga (yikes!) because they have a once a week $5 class too on Fridays. So my choices are good right now and I still get my exercise for $10 a week. tonight I head out for another class....

Last night I worked (basically sat still for an hour) while I posed for artists to sculpture me in my "birthday suit". I do this once a month at a local pottery studio and it pays $25 for an hour. I love seeing the art created! I am also working 5 days a week this week as opposed to 4, so it's a good week for my income!

I took a friend out for coffee after my modelling gig last night, it turned out that i had a free coffee on my coffee card, so I just had to pay for one! :) I also received a two for one printable coffee coupon from a gas station; one my friend goes to. I can print it as many times as I want and it expires June 2009. I'll print a few and put them in his birthday present bag which I am working on! :)

I finally finished the Frugal Zine for my friends' brithdays, emailed Dr. Bronners Soap to get more samples so that will be good! I will get large ziplock bags to store the zine and extra goodies that correspond to frugal living (dr. bronners sample, soapnuts, coupons...). I do think my friends will like this! I sure had fun putting it together!

I haven't gone out for lunch or dinner at all this week, not even cheap $3 takeout from the Indian place. What I've been doing is planning dinners and making enough to take to work. I have food in the freezer but I realized I stored it in containers that were a bit too large...will need to do something about that next time. We have free coffee at work but I was getting tired of the choices, so I asked the coffee rep for samples of other stuff. Sometimes I get so tired of what we have I run down to pay for a coffee elsewhere! After tasting the Organic Fair Trade Dark Roast Columbian sample, it might save me some money! Note to self: Ask boss to order that one...boy it's good!

My sweetie and I get paid tomorrow and I will have to put a good chunk on my credit card. I have two, one which i successfully put away for good and slowly paying off. I had called them in November to lower my interest rate which they did, 5% less!! So this will make paying it off much faster. Once that's paid off, I'm cancelling it and keeping my other one as it gives me rewards I use. I'm still bad with credit sometimes, though usually I get my senses back and take charge of it. It never truly gets out of control.

My vacation fund is up to $200, which should be MORE than enough for my 5 day mexican trip with my friend. Our budget accommodation is $90 each in total, and we won't be doing much but eating cheap local food and sitting on the beach reading. There is a communal kitchen where we are staying and knowing me, i might even cook! My friend said he was going to check out some sailing options, but I will probably stay put. I'll probably purchase something small for hubby too, as he can't come with us and will be stuck in the cold! :(

Crossing my fingers that I can keep up this no spending habit for the next little while!! So far so good........

2 Comments | Post Feedback

Last night we decided to have a breakfast for dinner..and BOY was it GOOD! We had scrambled tofu with roasted sweet potatoes, toast and homemade jam. Here is how I made it all:

Scrambled Tofu

1 lb firm tofu

1 small green pepper (diced small)

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Some pepper to taste

Crumble tofu in a pan and fry with green pepper in a little oil for about 4 minutes on medium heat. Then add all other ingredients and stir well till well mixed and heated. Serve on toast or with roasted potatoes.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

These measurements are only approximate as I do not measure when I cook. You can also use a mix of regular & sweet potatoes and even throw in some chunks of carrots!

2 large sweet potatoes (peeled & cubed)

3 tbsp olive oil

A few sprinkles of cayenne pepper

1 tsp oregano or basil

A few dashes of sea salt & onion powder

Preheat oven to 400F. Toss all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Place in a 9X13" pan and place in the oven for about 15-20 mins. Stir every so often. Then heat oven to broil (550F) and cook for another 5 minutes or so to brown the tops of the potatoes.

Now to think about tonights dinner...hmmmm...

0 Comments | Post Feedback

Right after the holidays I already have to start planning birthday gifts as I have two friends in Feb and 4 friends at the beginning of March to get things for. Then the rest of the year, pretty much nothing till December! hahah...figures!

All my close friends (all born in March) are on tight budgets too, but not all of them are really good at doing research and coming up with money saving ideas (that's where I come in!). I decided to write them a mini "zine" which I will give each of them (quarter size about 10 pages with quick tips to save, websites, recipes and a few other articles). It's meant to be a quick resource guide. The zine mentions Dr. Bronner's Soap and Soapnuts, so along with the zine I will give them each a bag of soapnuts (purchase a small bag on their website for 1 penny each + shipping (you can only order two at a time, i already have two on  hand) and a sample of Dr. Bronners soap (I had emailed them last year and asked for samples, i got 5 of them!). The zine also mentions the Entertainment Guide which I might purchase when they go on sale for $10 plus free ship (usually in Feb) for two of these friends (the others won't have use for it). So for 4 gifts, I will have spent under $30! If I don't buy the entertainment guides, these gits will run me about $2.50 each. I can photocopy the zines at work for free and all I paid was for the shipping of the free samples on the soapnuts. Since I have two trips coming  up in Feb (Mexico & Montreal), I might have to stick with the $2.50 gifts! My friends LOVE my crazy homemade gifts and ideas, so it's sure to be a hit. For one friend, I will add a lotus tea light holder which I found for 25cents at a discount store.

So if you have any friends trying to live on a tight budget but they aren't so good at it, this could be a fun project for you and a great useful gift for them. It really only took me two days to write the content (as a lot of it is already information I use) and another few hours to put it together (I print the pages, then cut and glued onto folded quarter sized sheets, then photocopy). A quicker way is to use MS Publisher as they have templates to make booklets.

Good luck!

0 Comments | Post Feedback

Last night was a quiet night, I listened to my favourite podcast and watched a tv show that I downloaded.

I made a carrot ginger soup which didn't really turn out as I ran out of cumin and i felt it left the soup tasting very bland. My sweetie and I said it tasted like baby food. So I now have about 12 cups of soup which I dont like, so I will freeze it in margarine containers and  bring it to Food Not Bombs next Sunday to give away. It's not BAD, it's just that i'm picky and I couldn't get this tasting quite right without the cumin. So my sweetie had grilled cheese and still managed to eat some of the soup with it, while I had a small portion of mashed potatoes, a cup of broccoli and a veggie dog without the bun..mmm. Tonight I'm making scrambled tofu with roasted sweet potatoes! I can't wait, I love scrambled tofu but never really make it.

From 8-9 tonight I venture off to do live modelling for a sculpting/drawing workshop. I just remembered last night that I had to go tonight, I usually get booked about a month in advance. This is very good timing as I am pretty broke and the $25 I get for an hour of sitting around will really come in handy. :)

I should really start thinking about writing down a dinner menu for the week. That way I can purchase groceries based on what I will make. This week is supposed to be the bigger grocery shopping trip but I might skip it altogether and see what I can create with what I already have on hand. I realized that i've collected a lot of canned goods this past month as a lot was on sale and i stocked up. I also have an ample amount of frozen veggies & tofu. Another idea is to make a list of the loss leader items at grocery stores and just purchase those and make something based on that. Flyers come out Thursday so I'll have a look!

Anyone ever write out weekly menus?

2 Comments | Post Feedback

My weekend was rather quiet, but in a good way :) My friend took me out to dinner for sushi Friday night,.Saturday my sweetie and I went to the farmers market and picked up a few fresh items and i FINALLY made it to yoga that afternoon after a few weeks of not going. It was free week at this studio so I didn't even have to pay for the class :) I felt bad for all the newbies in the class because this particular teacher has tough classes (Vinyasa Flow), only good for those like me who've been doign it awhile. Quite a few people had to stop or leave the class  because it was so vigorous, and these were kids 10-15 years younger than me. I woke up sore the next morning but I like that soreness that comes from exercise. I just took a hot bath that evening with the peony bubble bath I had acquired at the dollar store :)

Saturday night was a quiet one too. I spent a few hours reading zines in my room with Salem my cat. Also listened to my favourite podcast and surfed the internet. My room was cool so I sat on my heating pad. I love it that I have my own room because it feels like my own little sanctuary. I can go hide there, do crafts, read, burn my incense and candles and hang out with the cats. The cats tend to really love my room, it's cluttered but very cozy and bohemian looking.

Since my funds are practically non existant right now till I get paid, I used my $20 gift certificate to a grocery store that I got with airmiles to buy a few needed items. The store doesn't give change back so I had to make sure to get $20 and not much more, so I spent $20.50 on: Broccoli, 10lb bag of organic potatoes, ground cinnamon, 4 loaves of bread (on sale for $3.99), Bananas, two cans of beans ($1), two boxes of kleenex ($1), natural peanut butter, Fresh Ginger and a few other items. My friend is always impressed beacuse I can fill two large bags with $20 of groceries :)

I also cleaned out my fridge, trying to figure out what I needed to use up before next week's larger grocery shopping. I still had a lot of carrots from different sources that I wasn't using. I took them all out, cleaned them up and placed them in the fridge in a pot of water. Tonight I will make a nice carrot ginger soup, perfect for a very COLD day here. I'll make some grilled cheese for my sweetie, and since I don't each much bread and don't eat dairy, I will make myself a nice bowl of brown rice to eat with my soup! (recipe will be posted to the blog later)

Looks like work is going to be quiet today. Hope everyone had a good frugal weekend!

0 Comments | Post Feedback

A few weeks ago I had a pumpkin chip muffin at a local cafe and loved it! I went searching on the internet for a recipe, which i found on Recipezaar but adapted it to make it healthier :) I woke up this morning and made them! SO GOOD!

Lower Fat Pumpkin Chip Muffins

*Egg Replacer (4 eggs worth)

1 cup unsweetened applesauce (I used homemade)

1/2 cup oil (I used sunflower)

1 small can of pureed pumpkin (14oz)

1 1/2 cups brown sugar (other recipe called for white)

3 cups flour

2 tsp each of baking powder, baking soda & cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 to 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips (I used one)

Mix first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, then add all other ingredients and stir. Place in muffin tins and bake at 400F for 16-20mins. Makes about 24-30 muffins depending on the size.

*Egg replacer is found at your grocery store in the health food section, it comes in a box and is powdered, usually contains a mixture of starches. The original recipe called for 4 eggs but that would be an extra 20 grams of fat added to your recipe!! YIKES! Egg replacer works really well! You can also use 4 TBSP of cornstarch & 12 tbsp water if you don't have egg replacer, 3/4 cup mashed bananas, or 3/4 cup of silken tofu.

0 Comments | Post Feedback

I am finally off to yoga again this afternoon after a little break! I think my body needs it now as I've been rather sedentary the last while.

Because I knew I didn't want to be cooking dinner when I got back, I used one of my recipes from a zine I wrote a few years ago which literally takes me 2 minutes to prepare. I let it cook in the crockpot for an hour or two and voila! This is very flavourful

Crockpot Tortilla Soup

1 28oz can of tomatoes

4 cups of water or veggie broth

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp of cumin

2 tsp each of garlic & onion powder

1 tsp of oregano

2-3 cups of crumbled stale tortilla chips

Salt and Pepper (if using unsalted chips), do not add salt if you are using salted chips or else it will be WAY too salty :)

Throw it all in a crockpot and cook for a few hours. When heated, blend with a hand blender to mix. This time I only had a cup of chips, the only difference is that the soup will be less creamy but still good! If you want some protein, feel free to add a can of black beans to this after you've already blended it. Serves 4-6 people.
 

Enjoy!

0 Comments | Post Feedback

1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
2 cups whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix oil and sugar; then add applesauce. Combine dry ingredients and add to applesauce mixture; beat until smooth. Pour into a greased and floured 8-inch square baking dish. Bake for 45 mins. Use icing if desired.

 

0 Comments | Post Feedback

Since tonight is my turn to cook dinner and I am not feeling that great and also a bit lazy, I needed to make something healthy and fast. I was reading a cook booklet last night called "Vegan On a Shoestring" which was compiled by university students in Montreal. This recipe was in it but I didn't follow the recipe exactly, here is what I did and feel free to alter it a bit to make it your own.

Veggie Pie

4 cups cooked grains (rice, millet, quinoa...)

4 cups veggies (any kind, leftovers are great for this!)

1 large onion

2 tomatoes (chopped) - recipe called for 5 but i only had two and it worked great.

2 tsps minced garlic

1 can of beans (chickpeas are good) = I used 1 1/2 cups of tofu as I didn't have any canned beans on hand.

A few tsps of basil, oregano, cumin, salt & pepper to taste (I also used some hot sauce because i love spicy food!)

a few cups of leftover mashed potatoes (or sweet potatoes)

In a skillet, heat a little oil and add chopped onion, garlic and spices. Cook for a minute or so. Then add tofu or beans, tomatoes & veggies. Cook  on medium heat until everything is well heated. (5-7mins). If you want to just use one pan, use a large rectangle baking pan, spread the grains on the bottom, then the veggies on top, then the mashed potatoes. I also sprinkled the top with paprika because my mom always did this with her sheppards pie and i think it looks nice :) Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. You can also use pie pans so you can make a few and even freeze some. This serves about 6-8 people.

If you use rice as a grain it's much cheaper. I used quinoa which is pricy but VERY good for vegans, this is the best grain in terms of vitamins. You can probably make this for under $5 depending on what you use. This is perfect to make if you have leftovers, the recipe states that you can even use leftover stew if you have that. So be creative and enjoy! This took me about 15mins to prepare, then another 20 to heat up. "Almost" under 30minutes in total. Not bad for a dish that feeds up to 8 people! :)

0 Comments | Post Feedback

Yesterday I had a long day at work. I couldn't leave the office until this one person was gone, so i was around for an extra 1/2 hour. I actually worked 1 1/2 hours more than normal which was ok. I was tired and hungry by the time I left :)

My hubby called as I was on my way out, he had had a really stressful day at work. Lots of people around the country are losing their jobs due to cutbacks and his company has been laying people off all week. So basically he was on edge. He picked me up downtown and we headed over to a nice fancy bistro which has specials every wednesday. Pizza and Pasta night for $10! And I'm not talking diner style pizza and pasta, but the gourmet stuff prepared with quality ingredients and a well known local chef! I picked the pad thai with tofu. And WOW was I stuffed afterwards. We agreed that anytime we want to go for a "nice" dinner, we should go there on Wednesdays. A fancy night out for under $25 :D

Today I am feeling a little under the weather but I had to open the office so I couldnt stay home. Because I am a temp, I don't get paid if I don't work, so taking time off to be sick isn't something I like to do. It's almost noon now and I might head home. I can barely write in this blog right now :) My head is heavy, let's hope I am not coming down with the flu.

Will write more later if I am well rested!

0 Comments | Post Feedback

Well, yesterday was my day off. I was going to stay home and make soap and candles and maybe bake, just to relax but I decided to go venture out to the mall (which i rarely do!). I had bought a really nice skirt 3 years ago and haven't been able to wear it for a year as it is now too big. I needed to go get it tailored as I can not sew and my sweetie doesn't have much time at the moment to do it.

I showed up at the tailoring place, put on the skirt and the woman told me that it will cost more as they have to take a lot off and remove the zipper in the process. She said if they only had to take a bit off they could have just done it on one side, but it seemed as though they were taking at least 1-2inches off on each side! WOAH! I didn't know I had lost that much weight but I guess I have...yikes. I cringed when she quoted me $30 for the alterations, but given the fact that at the time I paid a lot for the designer skirt, it was worth it. Still...ouch!

I made the mistake of heading downtown to my two favourite shoe stores. I never used to be into shoes until the past few years. I guess my bad arthritis has forced me to get good shoes and now that I am spoiled with wearing nice things on my feet, it's impossible to go back. argh. Here's what happened:

I found a nice pair of Hush Puppies on sale for $70 (down from $120). I needed them for work as I did not have a comfortable cushiony high heel to wear with dresses/skirts. I was happy with my purchase and i did NEED these so I wasn't too upset with myself. Then I venture over to another store, the one I always look in but never buy....until now.

They were having a 50% off sale that's been ongoing all month. I've been in a few times but never bought anything. This time, I noticed some John Fluevog shoes (this is a designer i used to look at 20 years ago because his shoes were so crazy, like art on your foot!!!). I have always been impressed with this designer but way back when his shoes were even too off the wall for me. Over the years, I drooled over the art-style-shoes but never wanted to try a pair on, afraid I'd blow $300 on shoes. His designs have gotten more wearable over the years too! Yesterday I did it. I tried on two pairs of Fluevog shoes and one pair of boots. The boots are a nice plum, wonderfully made, cool and funky. I wanted them all..(of course I did!) but settled on the purple boots. After all, I had only ever owned black and brown boots, it was time to expand my collection. hahaa. The website sells these for almost $500, i paid $200. I was scared to tell my sweetie but when I did he said they looked really good and didn't even cringe. As I get older, I realize I keep footwear much longer now anyway. My friend has had these $300 pair for 10 years and they are still in good shape. He was pleased with my purchase and said in the long run I'd save money because I wouldn't be tossing them in a year or two. True enough. Or is it?

Today I am still unsure as to whether or not I should have bought them, but my feet need to be taken care of and I have noticed a huge difference since purchasing good footwear. I just started last year so I am still in the midst of replacing my junky shoes.

My mother would also approve, she's a shoe person and used to complain to me in my earlier years that I didn't have enough shoes (in my twenties I may have had 2 pairs and 1 pair of boots). She used to stress how much good footwear is important. I should have listened to her. I wonder if I would have these foot problems had I listened to her 20 years ago.

So is it worth spending that much on footwear? Say I keep these boots for 10 years, that's $20 a year to have them. If I don't replace them for that long, then it's worth it...isnt it? :)

Images:

1 Comments | Post Feedback

This is a casserole I am making for dinner tonight that serves 2-4 people. Serves 4 if you serve with a salad or something on the side or 4 kids :) REALLY Frugal! This cost me less than $1 to make,

5-6 potatoes (peeled & sliced thinly)

1 15oz can of beans in tomato sauce

1 tbsp mustard

1 tsp pepper

1-2 cups grated cheese (I use vegan cheese)

Preheat oven to 400F. Boil potatoes until tender (about 5 minutes) then drain. In a bowl, mix beans, mustard and pepper. In a greased casserole, arrange 1/2 the potato slices, then 1/2 the beans and half the cheese. Do it again then cover and cook for 35-40mins. YUM!

Enjoy!! This is a nice warm dinner for a very cold night here :)

2 Comments | Post Feedback

Last night my friend and I went for a cheap dinner, I paid $10 for a large plate of lebanese food including coffee...thats a good price for where I live :)

Then we ventured over to Liquidation World. I discovered this place last month and LOVE it. There is different stuff there all the time so each time I go it's a surprise. I picked up 4 beautiful lotus metal candle holders for $1! I have a few birthdays coming up and one of my friends would love this. Also got a free book which we had to spend $10 or more to get. Got 3 very good quality candles which I would have spend at least $40 on all of them..Paid $3 each. Got some expensive salon hair & body shampoo which sells for about $20 for $3 made especially for when you're in the sun and I am going to Mexico next month so this is perfect!! Also bought 6 gift bags for 49cents and a pack of 100 hair elastics for $1. I am itching to go back today I don't need anything, I just like looking around at all the junk :)

Going to the market after I am finished my coffee, then heading to a coffee place where I have a card to get a free cofffee! :) I am attempting to make it to yoga this afternoon which is $5, then I am hoping a night in with a movie (it's COLD out!), or perhaps go out for a martini with my sweetie :)

Hope everyone has a frugally good weekend :)

0 Comments | Post Feedback

My friend and I are meeting after work for dinner and neither of us can figure out where we want to go. I looked through my wallet and looked for any meal cards or coupons I might have. I discovered that TWO of my coffee cards are full, which means I get to have a free coffee in two spots: one place which is near the farmers market where I go on Saturdays and another place right downtown with incredible coffee! So although I didn't find any free meal cards or deals, I now have two saved up coffees for future coffee dates. I do have one card for EVERY coffee place in town so it's fun to discover my freebies when I look through my wallet!

As for our dinner plans, I even looked online for restaurant coupons and have come up with nothing. The fact that I am vegan and he doesn't eat red meat limits our restaurant choices...I wish i lived in a big city again sometimes! When I visit my home city or another large city where a friend lives, i can eat so healthfully for VERY cheap! Sadly I live in a place where people's idea of a good meal is pizza or burgers. :( Buying a cheap healthy meal here seems next to impossible.

I might suggest a local Syrian place which has vegan meal plates for $8 including taxes and coffee or tea! Otherwise we're stuck going to Burger King for a veggie burger/fries for $6. I probably won't opt for that as I am trying to keep my figure since i need to fit into my bikini next month for my Mexico trip! :D

2 Comments | Post Feedback

I came home from work today tired and hungry and didnt know what to cook. I looked at what was in my fridge and decided to make a quick sheppard's pie just with what I had in terms of leftovers. Here is what I did:

About 1 1/3 cups of veggie ground (if you are a carnivore use ground beef)

1/2 small onion (chopped)

1/4 cup corn

1 tomato (chopped)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Instant mashed potatoes (for 5)

In a large pan I heated everything aside from the mashed potatoes. Placed this in a small loaf pan. I made the instant mashed potatoes using the microwave, placed on top of the "meat" mixture, sprinkled with paprika and cooked it in the toaster oven for 20 mins at 400F. This will feed two large portions or three small ones. It was VERY good! The veggie ground stuff usually has a nice flavour so it wasn't bland :)

0 Comments | Post Feedback

My Playa del Carmen (Mexico) trip was confirmed last night when I spoke to my friend. He will get us standby tickets for $250 return sitting in first class! I found a cheap hotel/hostel for $30/night which will will split (so just $75 for 6 nights for me), just some basic accommodation near the beach and attractions. Sadly my sweetie can not go due to a lot of restructuring at work but said he might be able to go at the last minute if things change! I'll be away Valentine's Day too, thank goodness he doesn't like this holiday or else he could have been sad about me not being around.

I am also purchasing travel medical insurance for $11. My provincial insurance does cover some things but for $11 I wouldn't mind the extra coverage just in case!!

We're going to be taking the bus from Cancun to Playa del Carmen which I understand is about 40 pesos. The hotel is walking distance from the bus station as well. I understand that food is cheap but since I need my beach bikini body (haha), i will try not to indulge too much. I'm planning on taking full advantage of fresh fruits and veggies! The hostel we are staying at has a full kitchen we can use upstairs so perhaps we'll cook something one night.

FOOD: Since we're travelling standby I can not pre-order a vegan meal for our 6 hour flight, so I will need to pack some food with me in case they do not have any veggie meals for me on board. A good mixture of nuts/dried fruit is always handy and a few pieces of fresh fruit! My friend says he just eats the other stuff that comes with the regular meal and doesn't eat the meat.

BAGGAGE:
We both agreed not to check our luggage. This makes it easy to go in and out of the plane without worrying. We've both worked for airlines and know better than to check it. LOL. I am also packing VERY light. Just basics, no jewelry nor will i bring my mini laptop. Just a small cheap digital camera and some basic clothing.

My friend will fly here first and stay a few days, then we will fly to Montreal and stay with my mom as she lives close to the airport. She will pick us up, then drive us to the airport in the morning to catch our flight!

I already printed a map of the area, some important local phone numbers and a list of vegetarian restaurants. I placed everything in an envelope so we're prepared when we arrive. Less than a month to go, i can't wait! :D

0 Comments | Post Feedback

My friend who works for an airline called me last night to ask if I wanted to go to Mexico for 5 days next month. I'm lucky that my job allows me to take time off easily. He has his days off and wants to go to Playa del Carmen. He told me we can get a hotel for $25 a night there and the flight would cost next to nothing because I'd be flying with him. My partner might also come along too! We'd fly to Cancun, then take a $15 bus to Playa del Carmen. Apparently these rooms have kitchens in them so we'd be able to cook our own food and eat for cheap if we decided to venture out. WOW! Because he lives in a different city, he'd fly here to come pick us up so we can take the Cancun flight from Montreal. I'll know more next week! Can't wait!! I could use a little sun right about now :D Boy I'm spoiled!!!
 

Two weeks after the tentative Mexico plan, i'll be heading back to Montreal for the weekend and will be flying on points which means I only need to pay the taxes. I will stay with my friend there, buy a 3 day tourist card to use the metro/buses and eat cheaply. My trips home to Montreal are never too pricy, as I know where everything is for cheap and I walk as much as possible instead of taking cabs. When we go out dancing, we always drink at home first, then go out so we don't have to buy drinks at the bar.

In May/June I am planning a trip to Toronto (tentative), which consists of staying at my friends place and mostly just walking around town and having a few drinks. My Toronto trips are always low key and really fun. He is on a tight budget too so we're always trying to save :). Not sure how I will get there yet, it's a two hour flight and I am hoping for seat sales! *crossing fingers*

Then, in October, I head to New York city for an event! I will fly to Toronto on points or hopefully a cheap seat sale, then take the bus with my friend to NYC for $30 return with Megabus! I'm still scoping out hostels and places to stay. I would couchsurf but given the fact that we're only there for a few days, I want to have the freedom to come and go as I please. Will check on www.hostelbookers.com for some accommodation! I hear there is a guide called "Cheap Bastards Guide to NYC". Might pick up a used copy if I can find one or email an acquaintance who lives in Manhattan for frugal tips :)

Next February, I head to San Francisco to celebrate my 40th birthday! My sweetie has enough points for both of us to fly there for free and my two close friends will join us there for a nice celebration. The hotel we stayed at last time was $50 a night including breakfast/coffee. GREAT location too, in The Mission District. I have an old friend who now lives there and will ask for more frugal tips!

2008 was a horrible year for me and it's looking like 2009 will be a lot more fun and I will do more travelling! I usually fly at least 3 times a year anyway! Last year we were in Holland/Spain and Morocco, I was in Montreal three times and Toronto twice. I must say, all my extra money goes to travelling. Thank goodness my sweetie allows me to take off leaving him behind. He isn't fond of flying unless we're going somewhere good....which is why he might tag along with us to Mexico! Can't wait! I'm a lucky woman!

2 Comments | Post Feedback

I read an article recently discussing being frugal, then binge buying. I was thinking...mmm. is this me?? I LOVE making my own things, love saving money on items, love taking advantage of sales and buying used/thrift. For me it's a game thinking I am beating the system and not giving in to capitalism and the high life. Then, on a whim thinking that I've saved all kinds of money doing this and that, I reward myself by purchasing something I shouldn't have. The person who wrote the article described it as dieting. Say one week you're eating all healthy and are feeling good, then the next week you reward yourself with tons of junk food. How is that helpful? Right?

I barely spent anything on Christmas gifts this year and boy was I proud of myself. I've been doing this for years but I love it that I can keep it up year after year. Then we purchased a new sink, and a front loader washer and dryer. We already had a functioning washer and dryer but I did often have to wash clothes again because of rust or it was ruining my stuff. They weren't a very good set but they sort of worked right? my mom gave me money towards it, so really I only paid for one of them. Then the sink....a $400 purchase. yikes. Our bathroom had this ugly pedestal sink that took over half the bathroom but hey, it worked. I don't regret my purchases , especially the washer and dryer because they will save us a lot of water and energy in the long run. I also bought a handmade dress online for well over what i pay for a thrift dress. Could have done without it right? Right. So after all these efforts for me to save, is it because I want to then turn around and buy fancy stuff?? Or is it really beacuse I want to pay off debt? Probably a little of both.

One day I just love the fact that I buy mostly thrift clothes and barely eat out, then the next day I am looking at $100 shoes and go for sushi. I don't even get myself. Our debt is going down, so at least I am seeing results, but I then turn around and get some nice stuff to delay paying things off. My credit card just upped my limit because I always pay on time. argh.

Just today, I went into a fancy store with NICE clothes..you know those designer ones. I looked at the 50% sale rack and saw a $450 down to $225. YIKES! So looking was nice but I was smart enough to get out before it was too late. Also checked out a great shoe store, also with boxing day sales. $300 shoes....50% off. ouch. I was tempted as I saw a few pairs I liked, but lucky for me I have bad arthritis on one of my feet and can't really wear high heels....most of the stuff i saw had big high heals. I'm thinking the universe was on my side today. So I walked out. *phew*

I even walked into my favourite store which sells all kinds of inexpensive stuff like incense, funky jewelry and housewares. It's a tiny store. I looked at a rug for $17, a really nice big throw rug which would look great in the upstairs guest room. I didn't even buy that! YAY! I wanted it though, but figured I didn't really NEED it. The guest room has a little rug in it, maybe it's not that pretty and i found it in the garbage, but it's there and it's functional. :)

So next time you tell yourself "Hey, i saved $100 this week!!!" Take those savings and pay off a bill instead of running to the store and get that pair of fancy shoes you wanted. :) I know this will take some practise for me, but I know I can do it.

4 Comments | Post Feedback

My friend called me last night sick as a dog. Sounds like he's got a very bad flu. So this morning I woke up and made him some pea soup which I will bring to his house for lunch as I have the day off. This is what I did

1 cup split peas (green)

6-8 cups veggie broth or water

1 small onion

1 large carrot

1 large potato

Place the water and peas in a large pot, bring to boil then simmer for at least 30mins until peas are tender. Add chopped/peeled veggies and cook for another 45mins. Add salt & pepper to taste. I also added one veggie chili hot dog sliced thinly. Inexpensive soup that will give lots of vitamins and some protein!

It's very very cold out, so the soup will warm him up and I will keep the rest for my sweetie and I for dinner to eat with some english muffins which i bought on sale (3 packages for $2.50!). Was going to make cookies but the bus is in 30mins so I don't have time. Maybe tomorrow :)

0 Comments | Post Feedback

My friend was over this weekend, we hadn't seen each other since November which means we did our Yule gift exchange. I always love her choices for my gifts as she knows me very well!

One thing she placed in my gift bag, was a bag of SoapNuts. Apparently these are nuts from a tree in Nepal and India. The nuts come in a muslin bag which holds about 6 of them. You throw the bag in the laundry and can use it for about 5 loads! This is an eco friendly way to do laundry and they are not expensive to buy. It is supposed to be great for people with allergies or any kind of skin condition where laundry detergent can be harmful to them.  I looked at the website and found out a bag of $40 worth will do about 400 loads! Not bad for eco friendly stuff! In case you are interested in reading about it, here is the website: www.buysoapnuts.com I read that you don't even need to use fabric softener with these things!

She also purchased an eco scrubie for me from the same website which is made of coconut coils, bound with a non toxic glue. I used it last night and LOVED it. They are supposed to last several months and are biodegradable/compostable. I went on the site and purchased more as this might be a cheaper alternative then to keep replacing mine every week or two!. :)

I was so extatic of this discovery, that i bought two samples of the soapnut bags for 1 penny each to give to my mom and another friend of mine. I have to wash my bedding tonight and will try them out. Can't wait!

I wish I could purchase the nuts now, but Saturday I ran some errands and picked up enough laundry soap (which was on sale for dirt cheap) for the entire year!  (paid $15 for enough laundry soap for the YEAR!) I might sell the soap to my friend (he could use it as he's on a student budget) and purchase the nuts. See how it goes!

2 Comments | Post Feedback

When these tough economic times started, my sweetie and I were not affected at all. Recently. his company just did some restructuring and his dept wasn't supposed to be affected. Now his boss is urging him to move (1500miles away!) and take a job at head office...which means there will be massive layoffs at the management level all around the country. He panicked as he earns a really good living and to be cut off from that would be VERY hard. He said he doesn't want to move, so I told him to say no to the job, offer some other solutions and see what comes of it. Worst case scenario, he leaves with 6 months severance pay but jobs in our city are scarce and at his level he'd have to take a major paycut if he got another job. It's kind of scary. I told him not to worry as I didn't have a  bad feeling about it. He is one of those people that is really hard working, extremely brilliant (high IQ!!) and people just love him! I don't foresee a problem with him getting a job or asking them to keep him here perhaps taking a paycut if needed.

On the bright side, the place where I am currently doing temp work wants me to work more hours so I can have enough work days accumulated so they can hire me on for a few months with a REAL salary (not the bad hourly wage temp agencies give).  (I need 60 days for the temp agency to be able to release me without the company i am working for to be penalized). What all this means, is by mid-Feb I will be making almost double what I am making now!!! The contract might last about 4-6 months so if things do go wrong, I can support us with my fancy government salary for awhile! woohoo!

We also have insurance with our mortgage and credit card company, so if he loses his job we won't need to pay our cards or mortgage (I think it's up to a year). So the security is nice, knowing we won't lose anything.

To be on the safe side, I am going to stock up on staple items and household goods (there are TONS of sales right now) this weekend. I told my sweetie not to worry, that my frugal ways will make him feel like we're living a life of luxury..haha (ya right!) We don't have cable though we do have satellite radio which might have to go....let's hope nothing drastic happens but I am anticipating the worst and planning for it just in case.

I wanted to put my creativity to use for earning money, and since my zine sales have gone down after the holidays, I had to think of something good I could sell that would be cheap to send. I bought a bottle of potent pheromones on ebay and will be making small vials with them blended with some oils to sell as Valentine's Gifts. I'll just charge $3 or something so people can afford it and be able to give something fun! I should be getting it next week and will start production. I just received a bunch of essential oils and fragrances so I will use those as well!

Now I have to rethink my mom's valentine's gift. I was going to send her a dozen roses ($40 incl tax & delivery on flowerscanada.com) but now I have to scale it down. I decided to make some candles instead and will go to the grocery store to get some $8 tulips and will courrier them (I get 75% off next day courrier stuff). This might cost me $15 altogether. :)

Almost time for lunch. I forgot to bring my lunch again today! (duh!). I guess it's back to the $3 indian place!

3 Comments | Post Feedback

I love Thursdays because the sale flyers come out with the morning paper. After I get my morning work done at the office, I peruse the flyers carefully and make a list of things to stock up on. (thank goodness I get paid today!)

This week one grocery store has buy one get 2 free! So I'll pick up apples, english muffins and some laundry soap! There seemed to be a lot of meat & junk food with this sale and since I don't eat either (and don't know anyone who really does), I am only able to get a few items. They also have potatoes but we don't eat a whole lot of them.

I've been doing research and trying to come up with Valentine's ideas for my zine. Even though no one I know celebrates it, I will still participate and give friends some fun stuff. I found some amazing ideas which I will try to post closer to the day. One of my favourite ideas came from the Martha Stewart Website:

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/from-the-garden-sw...

I love tulips (not fond of roses) so this is something I might do next month for myself if I find more pretty tulips on sale! :)
I suppose you can make the same type of arrangement using any kind of candy for any occasion. I love this idea!

0 Comments | Post Feedback

Every year I try to come up with a list of free things I can get on my birthday. I didn't do much searching last year as my dad has passed away a month before my birthday & wasn't up for freebies hunting.

My birthday is in a month and I am now just in the process of emailing local businesses and chains to find out who is giving what for free. Before I start doing this, I try and think what I want to do on my birthday. My sweetie never plans anything so it's safe for me to plan for myself! :)

Breakfast: Although I am not looking for a free breakfast, I am definitely wanting a free coffee! So the search is on for this! There is a pancake chain here I will look into as well, just in case!

Lunch: Boston Pizza offers a free pasta entree or dessert. I did this last year as I was working and the restaurant is right around the corner. I just ordered water and my bill came to $0!

Dinner: I am still trying to find out where I can go. Because I am vegan, I can't eat a lot of things chain restaurants offer, so I am in the process of emailing a few of my favourite sushi places as i LOVE veggie sushi!

Entertainment: I emailed my local indie video store asking if they give members a free video rental on birthdays. *crossing fingers*

Drinks: Most bars will give you a free drink on your birthday. I will head to my fave place for martinis and ask them if I can get one, they are normally $9.50 each! YIKES!

Goods: BodyShop gives you $10 towards an item if you are a member (membership costs $10 and gives you 10% off purchases. This doesn't work for me as i don't shop there but definitely cool. Sephora also gives me free stuff though I do have to pay for shipping, same as Eyeslipsface.com though I haven't taken advantage of those deals yet as the idea is not to pay anything, not even shipping.

Services: Who wouldn't want a free esthetic service or massage on their birthday? While I don't think this will happen, I am in the midst of finding out if I can get a deal on a pedicure from a local spa! :)

I will post after my birthday to let you know what I got for free! Can't wait! :)

0 Comments | Post Feedback

I had the day off today but it's so cold out I had no desire to venture out, plus when I leave the house I spend money. I was more than happy to sit in front of my space heater and surf the internet while sipping on coffee sitting on the couch.

After a few hours of being rather sedentary, I ventured out to the kitchen to test out one of my frugal recipes that I invented for my upcoming zine. I have been writing an article with recipes about casseroles. Especially in the winter months, we all want comfort food that's quick, cheap and easy right? So I tested my casserole and made a few adjustments but here it is! Costs about $2 to make and feeds about 6 -8people! I couldn't believe how much food this made which means I'll have lunches for awhile!

Lazy Lentil Pasta Casserole

1 cup red lentils

3 cups uncooked pasta (I used macaroni)

1 700ml jar of pasta sauce

6 cups veggie broth or water

Put all ingredients in a large casserole and stir. Preheat oven to 400F and place casserole in for 45 mins, Take out and stir then cover with foil for 15mins. All water should be absorbed and lentils & Pasta cooked!

Then I decided to make some cheap rice pudding to go with my lunches. I packaged this in 8 small containers ready to eat:

Frugal Rice Pudding

1 cup rice

4 cups milk (to be frugal use powdered soy or skim milk).  I used vanilla soymilk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup raisins (optional)

Bring to boil, then simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed but still creamy :) Let cool and store in fridge.

After all my cooking, my friend came over and gave me my Yule present which was a candle kit! I have candle making stuff but never had the proper melting pot! I made 8 votives with chunks, as well as a sand candle. These will make great birthday gifts as all my friends have march birthdays!

After my candle making which took me the remainder of the day, my friend came over again and we went grocery shopping. He likes taking me because I save him money, though this time he was spending like mad because he got $100 worth of gift cards for the grocery store. He lives by himself and spend $110! I just told him that next time he takes me, he'll have to listen to me. haha. I bought him a book called Vegan Cooking for One which gives you a frugal grocery list. he said he didn't have time to cook because of exams this week and bought tons of premade food even though I did give him lots of chili to freeze so he could eat. LOL.

Maybe I should write a zine for starving students who have no time. He could probably use it. I know for $110 i would have bought TONS of stuff, he came out with 4 small bags. I couldn't believe it! He was dead set on those Brita Filters and gigantic $8 candle. Of course he didn't buy the gigantic jar candles for $3....he's picky. I tried!!

I spent $30 myself, which $8 was spent on beautiful dark purple  tulips. I do splurge on flowers when they are cheap and for 10 tulips, at least where I live, that was a deal. I paid $2 for a box of  individually wrapped mini turtles which i will put in gift bags for Valentines day along with other discounted chocolates I purchased this week.

Tomorrow I am back at work. I'm looking forward to packing my lunch with the frugal food I made: Casserole, rice pudding and an apple. If I calculate the cost of my entire lunch, it's under $1 for ALL of it! :) YAY!

1 Comments | Post Feedback

I can't believe it's already January 5th. To be honest I am glad the holidays are over though so everyone can get back to a sense of normalcy around town!

My sweetie and I decided to take advantage of boxing day sales this weekend to replace some things that we should have replaced a long time ago. He won $200 playing poker with friends (they have tournaments every so often) so we decided to use the money for useful things instead of wasting it. We replaced all our cutlery and dishes. Dishes for 8 people cost us $30 (set of 32 pieces) and cutlery was found at a bargain store (Cuisinart brand originally for $120 and we paid $55) for 8 settings. We were so excited!!! Finally good cutlery that wasn't going to bend or rust..these babies are SOLID :) We also replaced the old comforter & cheap pillows we had in the guest room. Paid $45 for a very fancy fluffy queen comforter made in Zurich with two lovely pillows that came with it! Now the guest room looks great, I just have to paint it a deep purple. I want the room to look kind of Zen/Buddha like. Now if I could get cheap paint! We also cleaned out our closets, put clothes we didnt want in large bags and the diabetes association will pick it all up (including dishes/cutlery). I love donating items to charities.

We also stocked up on staple foods and household items. I now have enough toilet paper & kleenex for at least 6 months! I have lots of food in the fridge/pantry too. If anyone were to see our pantry and fridge they'd think a family of 5 lives there but its just the two of us. We have the luxury of owning a large house with LOTS of room so if I can buy stuff cheap and store it, I will :)

The only time we spent money on things that weren't needed, was when we bought good Lebanese food. My dad passed away a year ago yesterday and it was imperative that we buy quality lebanese food because last year when I went home for the funeral, his best friend kept bringing it over and now it's total comfort food for me. I needed to remember him with that. I didn't want to cheap out and wanted the best Lebanese food i could find (dad is worth it!). The owner gave me a deal and threw in a few extras so that was nice! We spent $45 on prepared food which will give us a few meals this week.

I thought about sending my mother flowers to brighten her week. I can't imagine she's having a great time right now. I found a website online that sends bouquets for $20 and i have a 15% off coupon which i might use. I also got an email from Boston pizza to get a free individual pizza! If you sign up for their newsletters, you get free stuff on your birthday and one year anniversary of being a member. So i'll indulge this week as it expires soon.

Oh, I did have one slip-up...bought a handmade dress on Etsy.com. I am a firm believer in supporting fellow artisans and while most of my clothes are thrift, i splurge on the odd piece of handmade clothing. I paid a lot for it, but like the other handmade things I purchased in the past, it'll be worth it! And it's being custom made for my body!

Work is quiet, looks like I'll be writing in my zine all day...could be worse!  

0 Comments | Post Feedback